In Dreams
Chapter Six
"Ron! Ron, wake up!"
Ron groggily opened his eyes to see Herminone's face peering anxiously back at him. He was about to smile at her, let her know that everything was okay, that he was fine. Then Harry and Ginny's faces came into view, concern etched in their faces as well. Something was wrong and not just with him. He looked up at their surroundings. They weren't in their common room anymore. In fact, Ron didn't rightly know where they were. He sat up with their help. "What happened?" he asked.
"I don't know," said Hermione. Her voice betrayed her nervousness. "One minute we were in the common room and now..."
All four looked around unable to recognize any of their surroundings. They seem to be in some sort of cave or tunnel. There was a single torch hanging on the wall gave off light. There were four dark tunnels that led off from their central location. Where they headed no one knew.
As Ron got up to his feet Hermione continued, "As soon as you got the necklace clasped everything went black. There was this rushing feeling, like we were moving very fast and then we were here. You were unconscious. We were so worried."
Ron looked at Hermione. He could tell, although he was sure that both Harry and Ginny had been concerned for his well being, that Hermione had been the most distraught. Any other time or place and Ron would have been happy at Hermione's concern although he wouldn't ever want her to in distress. It was pleasant to think his, okay his feelings for her, were not unrequited. But now was obviously not the time to dwell on these things. They could be in real danger.
"It sounds like the necklace was a port key of some sort," said Harry with a sinking feeling. The last time he had traveled, forcibly, by a port key during the tri-wizard tournament he had come face to face with the murderer of his parent, Lord Voldemort, and Cedric had died in that fight.
"But it couldn't have been because Harry and I weren't touching the necklace," said Ginny, her brows furrowed. "Only you two were," she said indicating Ron and Hermione.
"Well maybe it was a cursed necklace. Where did you get it Ron?" asked Harry.
"From a witch at Hogsmeade. She was selling jewelry there. She didn't say anything about it. She just said that in the past muggles had used similar necklaces to ward off the curses of bad witches and wizards," explained Ron.
"Like a lucky charm that protects the wearer," said Hermione. "She didn't say there was anything actually magical about the necklace."
"Maybe she didn't know that it had magical properties," said Ginny.
"Or maybe she did," Harry said grimly. "Did the witch know that you were giving the necklace to Hermione for Christmas, Ron?"
"Er...well...," Ron stammered. He was a little embarrassed. He was just supposed to have given Hermione the necklace and that gift and moment were supposed to have been between the two of them and not for everyone to know about and discuss. Of course Harry and Ginny might have already suspected that he, well he had been for some time now, had been thinking about Hermione as more than a friend. But they were possibly in danger right now and that had to override any of his personal feelings of embarrassment. "Yes. Hermione and I had been looking at the necklaces. The witch knew that Hermione liked that particular one. When I went back to get it, she asked me if it was for a Christmas present for the witch that had been with me earlier, meaning Hermione. So I told her. I didn't think anything of it at the time."
"Maybe the witch made it into a powerful portkey...one that would affect everyone in the room," suggested Ginny.
Harry nodded at Ginny who smiled briefly despite their strange circumstances. "Maybe you're right Ginny. But the question still remains-why?"
For that none of them had any answers. But their hearts froze as the sound of laughter filled the room and echoed down the four tunnels that connect to it. The laughter was anything but pleasant.
Chapter Six
"Ron! Ron, wake up!"
Ron groggily opened his eyes to see Herminone's face peering anxiously back at him. He was about to smile at her, let her know that everything was okay, that he was fine. Then Harry and Ginny's faces came into view, concern etched in their faces as well. Something was wrong and not just with him. He looked up at their surroundings. They weren't in their common room anymore. In fact, Ron didn't rightly know where they were. He sat up with their help. "What happened?" he asked.
"I don't know," said Hermione. Her voice betrayed her nervousness. "One minute we were in the common room and now..."
All four looked around unable to recognize any of their surroundings. They seem to be in some sort of cave or tunnel. There was a single torch hanging on the wall gave off light. There were four dark tunnels that led off from their central location. Where they headed no one knew.
As Ron got up to his feet Hermione continued, "As soon as you got the necklace clasped everything went black. There was this rushing feeling, like we were moving very fast and then we were here. You were unconscious. We were so worried."
Ron looked at Hermione. He could tell, although he was sure that both Harry and Ginny had been concerned for his well being, that Hermione had been the most distraught. Any other time or place and Ron would have been happy at Hermione's concern although he wouldn't ever want her to in distress. It was pleasant to think his, okay his feelings for her, were not unrequited. But now was obviously not the time to dwell on these things. They could be in real danger.
"It sounds like the necklace was a port key of some sort," said Harry with a sinking feeling. The last time he had traveled, forcibly, by a port key during the tri-wizard tournament he had come face to face with the murderer of his parent, Lord Voldemort, and Cedric had died in that fight.
"But it couldn't have been because Harry and I weren't touching the necklace," said Ginny, her brows furrowed. "Only you two were," she said indicating Ron and Hermione.
"Well maybe it was a cursed necklace. Where did you get it Ron?" asked Harry.
"From a witch at Hogsmeade. She was selling jewelry there. She didn't say anything about it. She just said that in the past muggles had used similar necklaces to ward off the curses of bad witches and wizards," explained Ron.
"Like a lucky charm that protects the wearer," said Hermione. "She didn't say there was anything actually magical about the necklace."
"Maybe she didn't know that it had magical properties," said Ginny.
"Or maybe she did," Harry said grimly. "Did the witch know that you were giving the necklace to Hermione for Christmas, Ron?"
"Er...well...," Ron stammered. He was a little embarrassed. He was just supposed to have given Hermione the necklace and that gift and moment were supposed to have been between the two of them and not for everyone to know about and discuss. Of course Harry and Ginny might have already suspected that he, well he had been for some time now, had been thinking about Hermione as more than a friend. But they were possibly in danger right now and that had to override any of his personal feelings of embarrassment. "Yes. Hermione and I had been looking at the necklaces. The witch knew that Hermione liked that particular one. When I went back to get it, she asked me if it was for a Christmas present for the witch that had been with me earlier, meaning Hermione. So I told her. I didn't think anything of it at the time."
"Maybe the witch made it into a powerful portkey...one that would affect everyone in the room," suggested Ginny.
Harry nodded at Ginny who smiled briefly despite their strange circumstances. "Maybe you're right Ginny. But the question still remains-why?"
For that none of them had any answers. But their hearts froze as the sound of laughter filled the room and echoed down the four tunnels that connect to it. The laughter was anything but pleasant.
